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Hello every one. This is my first thread, Ive been diving for awhile but im new to this online thing. Ive been diving wet and untill this year ive only dove during the warm months here in newengland. I started a new job and a few of my coworkers dive all year round using dry suits. I dove 7 times with them since jan 1 and not to sound like a wimp but its been pretty darn cold. I have a freind who doesnt dive any more who wants to sell me his dry suit. Luckly this guys is allmost my twin so the suit fits very well. I went to the dive shop that i got my advanced training from and told them that id like to take the dry suit dive traing course. I wont metion thier name but they told me i had to buy a dry suit from them or use one of thier rentals. I told them that i wasnt going to buy a newsuit because i was going to buy a my freinds suit and that i had no problem with renting a drysuit. Then they told me that they didnt have a drysuits that would fit me in the rentals. So they left it with, you can take the course if you buy a drysuit. Well i dont thick i have to tell you that im not going to buy a brand new drysuit just to take the course.
Every thing i dive with came from that one shop you would think that they would try to work something out with me. Before i start calling around do you guys think all the dive shops are that way? Did any of you do your drysuit traing with a used suit? Id like to know, thanks
No, that's a huge, stinky pile of BS. You're taking the class to learn how to dive in a drysuit, right? YOUR drysuit, of course they should let you take the class with your suit. Find another shop, don't go back in that one.
You need some instruction to dive your new suit. You do not necessarily need to pay for certification. The dive shop was foolish and negligent to refuse to take your money in exchange for some training. A year-round diver makes for a much better retail customer.
I agree with boomx5 that your instruction is just as valid if it comes from another experienced dry diver whom you trust. It very well may be better in content as well as value!! You do need the additional instruction and experience to be safe, but you do not need to be certified to dive in a suit that you already own.
BTW, I don't think that you necessarily need to pay for a drysuit course. It's pretty self explanatory... keep the dump valve cranked all the way open and you're pretty much set. Get the tips and details from your drysuit buddies.
And whatever you do, don't use the drysuit for buoyancy.. that's what your BC is for.
Agree with the others...You are paying for the DS class, right?
If so, the LDS is full of BS...Go elsewhere...Or, you can sometimes just corner one of the instructors (assuming they are contractors, and not employees) and ask them to teach you for the same fee.
Alternatively, I also agree that you might not really need a class...Just read about it, have friends that own them talk with you about them, and dive it a few times in 20ft of water as you get accustomed to it...Your call though...I'm not recommending it, but merely presenting it as one option...
Did this load of #%#$ come the owner of the shop? If not, then you may want to point out to this guy that his employees are running off their customer. If it was the owner, then simply find another shop.
But, please seek out training. Any training from anyone that is not a trained and certified instructor is foolish.
Would you take your OW course from just someone who dives?
[QUOTE=But, please seek out training. Any training from anyone that is not a trained and certified instructor is foolish. . . Would you take your OW course from just someone who dives?[/QUOTE]
OW instructors are trained to teach OW, and you NEED the C-card to dive most places.
OW instructors can teach drysuit certs based on having made a few dives in a drysuit and paying for the right, without any special training and in some cases with very little personal experience.
So YES, I would and in fact did take my drysuit training from someone who was not certified to teach it. And I got comprehensive training, great tips, and real-life experience from someone who knows and dives drysuits! This is a whole different animal from an OW certification--many instructors are very inexperienced with drysuits.
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